SPEAKING MATHEMATICALLY

Students must develop the skills of mathematical way of thinking. Understanding the language
of mathematics will help them overcome the challenge of learning mathematics. A good foundation of
mathematical thought will enable them to express mathematical ideas clearly, precisely and
unambiguously. To be able to successfully obtain abilities, student must grasp the skill in
understanding mathematical language.

Mathematical way of speaking is temporal. It is devoid with emotional content and is precise.
Mathematical language is characterized by; abstraction symbols and rules, nonlinearity and complexity
of language, arrangement, coding and decoding information. It is a system used to express,
communicate and convey mathematical information.

To express mathematical language, it uses unique symbols form abstract ideas, symbols for operations
and variables as representation without ambiguity.

VARIABLES

- Thought of as mathematical “John Doe”

- As a placeholder when you want to talk about something but either

• You imagine that it has one or more values but you don’t know what they are,
or
• You want whatever you say about it to be equally true for all elements in a given
set, and so you don’t want to be restricted to considering only a particular,
concrete value for it.

Illustration:

Is there a number with the following property: doubling it and adding 3 gives the same result
as squaring it?

Q: Is there a number ___ with the property that 2•___ + 3 = ___ 2?

Writing Sentences Using Variables

Use variables to rewrite the following sentences more formally.

a. Are there numbers with the property that the sum of their squares equals the square of
their sum?
b. Are there numbers whose squares are smaller than the numbers themselves?
c. Given any two real numbers, there is a real number in between.

❖ Recommended Readings: Numerical Properties and other non-numerical properties.

As a language form, mathematical sentence expresses a complete mathematical thought

without ambiguity.
Mathematical Statement is a declarative mathematical sentence.
Mathematical Phrase is a form of expression and is not a sentence.

Some Important Kinds of Mathematical Statements

A. Universal Statement

Says that a certain property is true for all elements in a set.

Ex. All positive numbers are greater than zero.

B. Conditional Statement

Says that if one thing is true then some other thing also has to be true.

Ex. If Fn is divisible by 21, the Fn is divisible by 3.

C. Existential Statement

Given a property that may or may not be true, an Existential Statement says that there is at
least one thing for which the property is true.

Ex. There is a prime number that is even.

D. Universal Conditional Statement

Statement that is both universal and conditional.

Ex. For all animals t, if t is a dog, then t is a mammal.

They can be rewritten in ways that make them appear to be purely universal or purely
conditional.
 For example, the previous statement can be rewritten in a way that makes its conditional
more explicit but its universal nature implicit:

If t is a dog, then t is a mammal.

Or: If an animal is a dog, then the animal is mammal.

The statement can also be expressed so as to make its universal nature explicit and its
conditional nature implicit:

For all dogs t, t is a mammal.

Or: All dogs are mammals.

E. Universal Existential Statements

A statement that is universal because its first part says that a certain property is true for all
objects of a given type, and it is existential because its second part asserts the existence of
something.

Ex. Every real number has an additive inverse.

F. Existential Universal Statements

A statement that is existential because its first part asserts that a certain object exists and
is universal because its second part says that the object satisfies a certain property for all things
of a certain kind.

Ex. There is a positive integer that is less than or equal to every positive integer.

Some positive integer is less than or equal to every positive integer.

Or: There is a positive integer m that is less than or equal to every positive integer.

Or: There is a positive integer m such that every positive integer is greater than or

equal to m.

Or: There is a positive integer m with the property that for all positive integers n,

m ≤ n.

Challenge: Rewrite the given statements.

1. There is a real number whose product with every number leaves the
number unchanged.
2. For all equations E, if E is quadratic then E has at most two real
solutions.
 3. The Golden Ratio definition: Two quantities are said to be in golden
ratio, if their ratio is equal to the ratio of their sum to the larger of
the two quantities

➢ Examples of True Mathematical Statement

1. The sum of two even numbers is even.

2. The product of any real number is real.
3. There exists a sum of two real number that is less than 5.
4. If a number ends in zero then it is a multiple of 5 and 10.
5. Triangle ABC is a right triangle if the square of the longest side equal to the sum of the squares
of the other two sides.

➢ Examples of False Mathematical Statement

1. Every decimal number is rational number.

2. The sum of two odd numbers is an odd number.
3. If x+7= 7, then x=-7.
4. There exist a number when divided by itself equals 0.
5. All prime number is odd number.

➢ Example of Mathematical Phrases

1. The sum of two squares

2. Twenty percent discount
3. Twice a number and 8
4. My age two years from now
5. The sum of three consecutive numbers

❖ Try the following exercises :

State whether the following are statement (S) or not a statement (NS). In the case of a
statement classify whether: Universal (US), Conditional (CS) or Existential (ES). Indicate also if it is
True or False.

Statement Classification True or False

1. The sum of a real number is commutative ____________ __________

2. If a real number is multiplied by zero then
the product is equal to zero. ____________ __________
 3. There exist a real number whose square is
less than itself. ____________ __________
4. For all real numbers there exist an additive
Inverse. ____________ __________
5. The sum of any odd number is odd ____________ __________
6. All perfect squares are even numbers ____________ __________
7. The intersection of odd numbers and
natural numbers is odd number ____________ __________
8. If two numbers are said to be the factor
of a number then any of the two number
is a multiple of that number. ____________ __________
9. If the product of two number is zero then
either of the two number is zero. ____________ __________
10. There exist a rational numbers whose product is
a whole number. ____________ __________

Mathematical Notations, Symbols, Operations and Variables.

❖ Required Readings: Mathematical Symbols and Notations

The combination of variables, operations, notations and symbols form a mathematical

expressions or sentence. The success of solving mathematical problem correctly lies on how the
students will go to translate Mathematical Statement / Phrases into mathematical expression.
Appropriate use of variables, symbols, operations and notations in translating
mathematical statement / phrase will give correct equation and representation to solve a given
mathematical problem.

➢ Examples of Translating Mathematical Phrases / Statement to Mathematical Expressions

using symbol, notations, operations and variables or a combinations of:

Mathematical Statement or Phrase Mathematical Expression

1. Twice a Number Let a number be x

Twice or double: 2
Twice a number is 2x

2. The sum of three consecutive numbers Let us say I’m thinking of three
consecutive numbers 11,12 and 13
Let 11 be the first number represented by x.
 11 = 11 = x
12 = 11 + 1 = x + 1
13 = 11 + 2 = x + 2
The sum of three consecutive numbers
x+(x+1) + (x+2)

3. The sum of the square of two numbers The square of two numbers
X2 – one number
Y2 – another number
The sum of the squares and two numbers
X2 + y2

4. There are twice as many apples as the there

are guavas Let A = apple
G = guava
Twice as many A as there are G: 2A = G

5. The area of a rectangle whose length is 7 The area of a rectangle is A = LW

more than the width. Whose length (L) is 7 more than its width
L=w+7
A = (w+7) w

6. The one third of the sum of my age and My age is x

brothers age who is 10 Brothers age is 10
One third of the sum of my age and
1
brother’s age: (𝑥 + 10)
3

7. A three digit number where hundred digit A three number with unit , tens and
is twice the digit and the tens digit hundreds digits
is 3 more than the units digit
x = unit digit
10x = tens digit
100x = hundred digit
Since the tens digit is 3 more than the
unit digit
(3+x)10
And the hundred digit is twice the tens digit
(2(3+x)) 100
Therefore x = unit digit
10 (3+x) = tens digit
100 (2( 3 + x )) = hundred digit
 The three digit number is
X+10 (3+x) + 100 (2(3+x))

8. The total peso value of 50 coins consisting Let x = ₱5 coins

of ₱5 coins and ₱10 coins. 50 – x = ₱10 coins
Total peso coins’ value
₱ = ₱ 5x + ₱10 (50-x)

9. A vessel runs at the rate of 8 miles per hour Let x = rate of the current
in still water. What is the rate of the vessel? 8 – x = rate of the current upstream

What is the rate of the vessel upstream if the We subtract x from 8 since the vessel
rate of the current is x? is travelling against the current.

16
10. If Juan can finish a job in 16 days. What is is the time of Juan to finish his job
16
the portion of work done by Juan in 2 days.
1
Per day is the rate of the job
16
done in two days
2 1
or proportion of job is done.
16 8

10. All natural numbers are real numbers Ɐ x ∈ N , x ∈ R.

11. There exist two distinct integers where

sum is zero. ∃ m, n ∈ Z ∋. (m+n) = 0

12. All real number greater than

zero , the square root of its square is equal Ɐ x > o ,√𝑥 2 = x
to itself

13. For all real number , there exist number 1 Ɐ x ∈ R , ∃ 1 ∋ x⋅1 = 1⋅ x = x

as identity element for multiplication .

14. For any non- zero real number when raise to

zero is equal to 1 . Ɐ 𝑎 ∈ R , 𝑎 ≠ 0 ; 𝑎0= 1

15. There exist an element of real number such

that its square is less than itself ⱻ x ∈R / x2 < x

16. If a is less than zero then the absolute value

of a is the negative of a . Ɐ 𝑎 ∈R, if 𝑎 < 0 , |𝑎| = −𝑎

17. For any real number not equal to zero,

 𝑎
the number is divided by itself is equal to 1. Ɐ 𝑎 ∈R, if 𝑎 ≠ 0, =1
𝑎

18. There exist an element of rational numbers

whose product is an element of whole number. ⱻ x, y ∈ Q / (xy) ∈ W

19. For every set, the empty set is its subset. Ɐ set , ⱻ ø as ø ⊆ of every set

Translate each of the following mathematical statement/phrases into mathematical expressions.

Use as few variables as possible.

1.A number less 8.

2.The square of the sum of 8 and a number
3.A man’s age 15 years ago
4.The sum of three consecutive odd numbers
5.r percent of x pesos
6.The excess of 13 over y
7.Two numbers whose sum is 80 and difference is 50
8.Joe is 2.5 times as old as his brother Ken now. Six years ago, he was four times as old as Ken.
9.For all real numbers there exist a multiplicative inverse whose product of the number and its
multiplicative inverse is 1.
10. The sum of real numbers is real.
11. If the product of any two numbers is zero, then either of the two number is equal to zero.
12. For any real number the grouping and regrouping of its addends do not affect its sum.
13. A rational number is defined provided that its denominator is not equal to zero.
14. A total amount of a loan with an annual rate of 6% and a monthly deduction of P12, 500.

Translate the following expressions to mathematical statement/phrase.

1.(-2)2
2. -22
3. (x+y)2

4. 8-y
5. Boy +10 = Girls
6. ⱻm, n Є Z, m+n=0
7. Ɐ x Є R, x2>0
8. Ɐ a Є R, ⱻ -a/ a +(-a) = 0
9. Ɐ x, y Є R,(x+y) Є R
10. Ɐ a, b Є R, a+b = b+a